THEGAYUK

Category: News

  • Brands are under pressure to drop Mail Online advertising after shocking Richard Littlejohn column

    Some of the UK’s biggest brands are under pressure to stop advertising in the Daily Mail and Mail Online after one of its columnists wrote a scathing piece about Tom Daley and Dustin Lance Black’s baby announcement.

    “Pass the sick bag…”

    Richard Littlejohn has written a column entitled, ‘Please don’t pretend two dads is the new normal’ in which he blasts the parents to be Tom Daley and Dustin Lance Black for announcing that they are expectant fathers.

    In the column, Littlejohn firstly questions who the mother is. Then goes on to ask, what role of the mother will play in their child’s life and who the sperm donor is.

    ALSO READ: OPINION | The “mother” of all questions, who is Tom Daley’s surrogate mother?

    Littlejohn then goes on to slam a transgender woman for becoming the first trans woman in the world to be able to breastfeed a child, born to her partner, who did not wish to breastfeed the child.

    He misgenders the woman numerous times and describes the move as a selfish demand of “adults being given priority over the best interests of the unborn child”.

    He writes,

    “For a start, this person is described as a woman, but has had no surgery to transition from a man. Sorry, but I’m with Germaine Greer — someone in possession of a full set of wedding tackle is a man, not a woman.

    Secondly, if this is his/her baby, did he/she fertilise the egg in the traditional fashion? On third thoughts, let’s not go there”.

    Brands questioned

    Brands such as Jet2, Calvin Klein, Quorn and Natwest have all had their brands advertised next to or under the content on the web version of the newspaper.

    The Daily Mail was urged to fire Richard Littlejohn by over 200,000 people in 2013 after a piece he wrote “monstered” transgender school teacher, Lucy Meadows, who sadly committed suicide shortly after her transition.

    StopFundingHate a UK pressure group whose campaign focuses on changing the media via its advertisers have called upon Quorn, Natwest, Visa and VisitNorway to answer on whether they were happy that their brands were effectively funding the content on the MailOnline.

    The ads placed on the column are provided by a system called InRead, by Teads, an inventor of native video advertising.

    UPDATE: Both Center Parcs and Southbank have pulled their advertising spend for the Daily Mail.

    THEGAYUK.com has reached out to Quorn, Natwest, Visa, Jet2 for comment.

  • Catholic group criticises Tom Daley for baby news

    “Tom Daley’s baby will be deliberately deprived of a mother”

    Without knowing any of the facts surrounding the birth of a baby for Tom Daley and Dustin Lance Black, a spokesperson for the  Catholic pressure group, Catholic Voices has described the decision for Tom and Dustin to have a child is depriving the baby of a mother and its loss of identity.

    Neither Tom or Dustin have announced whether a mother will be involved in the upbringing of their child, nor have they released any details on whether they are using a surrogate mother.

    It’s also not known whether the mother involved has asked for anonymity.

    On Valentine’s Day, both Tom and Dustin released a picture of an ultrasound, featuring a baby. The news was met with both praise and horrendous homophobia.

    Elizabeth Howard from Catholic Voices told news outlet, Christian Today, “A baby is always a blessing and someone of inestimable value.

    “However, Tom Daley’s baby will be deliberately deprived of a mother, and no matter how much Tom Daley and his partner love the baby, it will not make up for the enormous loss inflicted on him or her.”

    Ms Howard describes herself as a “donor-conceived person” and said that growing up without her genetic parent meant she felt a “huge loss of identity” and had a sense of “not belonging”.

    Catholic Voices describes itself as a project to “improve the Church’s representation in the media”.

    Why are the Christians so obsessed with Tom Daley?

    This isn’t the first time a Christian based group has criticised Tom Daley.  In 2016 an article claimed that Tom was “seduced into sodomy” after the tragic death of his father.

    The article by Stephen Green argued, that a “degree in psychology” wasn’t needed to work out why Tom Daley and Dustin Lance Black were in a relationship together.

    Stephen Green wrote, “Tom Daley, he was seduced into sodomy by an older man, not very long after the untimely death of his beloved father.  You don’t need a degree in psychology to work out what’s going on there.”

     

     

     

     

     

  • Blackpool Tower did something amazing for this couple’s proposal

    Get your hanky ready…

    Darren and Daniel got engaged yesterday, on Valentine’s nights in front of the world’s famous Blackpool Tower. The couple, Darren, 30 and Daniel, 18 spent the day at their favourite seaside town, before Darren got down on one knee and proposed to his now fiance.

    To celebrate the happy couple’s good news, The Blackpool Tower turned the lights to rainbow colours and put their names in the giant love heart light at the front of the Grade 1 listed building.

    Darren, 30, said, “It was a magical evening. We have a strong affinity with Blackpool, it’s where we spent our New Year’s Eve so it only feels right to get down on one knee at our favourite spot in the resort.”

    The pair were then treated to an intimate champagne reception at The Blackpool Tower, something they’ve always dreamed of but never been able to do.

    Darren added, “I’m so thankful to the team for going out of their way and making this Valentine’s Day even more special.

    Daniel and Darren were one of five couples chosen by The Blackpool Tower to have their name blazoned on the side of the iconic Blackpool landmark. Each of the couples was then treated to a special romantic evening at The Blackpool Tower.

    Kenny Mew, the general manager at The Blackpool Tower, said: “We are thrilled that we could be on hand to help the happy couple celebrate their engagement. I would like to pass on my congratulations from all the team here.

    “We have hundreds of people that come to The Blackpool Tower every year to propose. With over 123 years of history, The Blackpool Tower has such a special place in a lot of peoples’ hearts. You simply can’t find another more romantic venue quite like here anywhere else in the country!”

    The Blackpool Tower Eye also offers special engagement packages, perfect for those wanting to make their proposal extra special. The package includes access to The Blackpool Tower Eye as well as a bottle of bubbly, handpicked bunch of roses and chocolates to celebrate.

  • Gay Police Association changes its name to Scottish LGBTI Police Association

    The Scottish LGBT+ policing group has changed its name.

    The GPA (Gay Police Association) has changed its name to a more inclusive Scottish LGBTI Police Association. The changes include changing the official Facebook URL and name.

    Along with the name change, the old GPA logo will disappear and will be replaced with a new logo.

    The change has come to mark LGBT History Month. Every February it is LGBT History Month in the UK.

    A statement from the association’s website states,

    “Our Association has a long and proud history spanning 27 years…

    “At our AGM in 2016, members took part in an exercise in order to review how the Association was structured, the Aims and Objectives, what could be improved and examine ways to encourage membership engagement and inclusion.

    “Following the 2016 AGM, a number of recommendations came to light which would form the basis for a “Re-structuring Strategy”. Following 12 months of discussion within the Executive Committee, the Strategy became a proposal which was passed at the 2017 AGM.

    “This is far more than simply a name change and re-branding. A new General Board will replace the former Executive Committee. The Association will now include Transgender and Intersex as well as LGB. The Aims and Objectives have been replaced with a simple Mission Statement backed up with key priorities. There will be a new focus on localism with the creation of Local Coordinators. We will retain important aspects including our independence and remain an association of members.”

    The full change over is due to happen on the 16th February 2018.

  • Mr Gay Belgium attacked and hospitalised in horrific homophobic attack

    Attacked from behind, brutalised and hospitalised for being gay

    Mr Gay Belgium, Jamie Deblieck, was attacked in a brutal homophobic attack in his hometown in Belgium. His attackers called him a “f**king homo” before stomping on him, leaving him with injuries that needed medical attention.

    Jaimie, who is also autistic, posted a message on his Facebook profile, which translated to, “Attacking me from behind and stamping is one thing. Calling me “f**king gay” after that, you’re gonna regret it. I’m not leaving it here, you coward.”

    Jaimie is currently fronting a campaign to bring awareness to Autism, in a campaign called Autism | Understand, Don’t Judge.’

    Attacked from behind

    According to the advocate, he was attacked from behind but was able to view who attacked him and report his attacker to the authorities – saying that the public prosecutor would be on the case to bring the alleged attacker to justice.

    Posting again, Jaimie thanked his friends and followers for their well wishes and support saying,

    “Your support is what is going to pull me through these difficult days, and for that I would like to thank you from the bottom of my heart.

    “A complaint has been filed against the [perpetrator] and the public prosecutor’s office will get to the bottom of this case.

    “I also want to tell you why I chose to stand in front of the media. A lot of people in our country, like me, have had to deal with physical aggression because of their orientation and have not yet dared to come out of it. That’s why I decided to spread my statement through the media landscape. Events like this should be reported. There are a lot of bodies such as the unia, police, holebiverenigingen to itself an app (Uni-form) where you can report such cases. I tried to share this message today at my best”.

    Together We’ll get there!

    He finished with a more positive message saying,

    “Hating me, threatening, beating up.. Nothing’s gonna stop me from doing my job as mister and defending our community. Together We’ll get there!”

  • “Spot A Gay” newspaper article sparks outrage

    ‘Goes to the gym’, ‘Sports a beard’ and lesbians “hate men” but enjoy hugs.

    WTF. A Malaysian newspaper has reached a low point in journalism after publishing a stereotype-laden list to help its readers determine whether somebody is gay or lesbian.

    The tabloid Sinar Harian used tired stereotypes to pigeon-hole what gay men might look like or which hobbies they might enjoy, including wearing tight clothing to show off their physiques and suggesting that gay men might sport a beard.

    Apparently, according to the list, our eyes also “widen” when we see handsome men.

    Lesbians, according to the list, “hate men” but enjoy hugs.

    Embed from Getty Images

    Backlash concerns

    The list has sparked concerns by LGBT+ advocates because same-sex relationships are illegal in the Muslim-majority country. The anti-sodomy law is a hangover from colonial-era laws.

    Punishment for those found guilty include caning or a fine and up to 20 years in prison.

    The paper ran the checklist alongside an interview with the preacher Hanafiah Malik. The interview warned that homosexuality was “on the rise” and that it needed “to be stopped”.

    Advocates in the country are concerned that the article and the list could spark a backlash against the LGBT+ community.

    The 74

    Malaysia is just one of the 74 countries in the world, where it is illegal to be gay or where sodomy is illegal.

     

  • Katie Hopkins just used Peter Rabbit to mock non-binary and trans people

    Right-wing controversialist demands an apology from Sony Pictures saying that Peter Rabbit doesn’t identify as male.

    With the non-binary and trans community squarely in her sights, Katie Hopkins seemingly mocked how some in the trans and non-binary community wish to identify themselves.

    In a tweet, we can only imagine she thought was amusing, she demanded an apology from Sony Pictures, as “Peter does not identify as male. Or a bunny”

    She then used a gender-neutral pronoun, “Zir”, to say that the rabbit actually prefers to identify as “Barbara the Rodent”.

    The Tweet was met with a mix of reactions, with some writing that the former radio presenter, former TV host and former columnist for The Sun and MailOnline, wasn’t funny and just tweeting for the sake of being provactive.

     

     

    One user questioned the rise of a “transphobic smear campaign” by the right.

    The tweet comes after the new Peter Rabbit film included a scene where a character who suffers a blackberry allergy is pelted with them by a gang of bunnies.

    The film’s makers apologised for the scene saying that they “should not have made light” of the issue.

  • Gay teacher fired by Catholic school after wedding

    A Miami teacher returned to work after celebrating her wedding to her partner only to get fired from her job. The Catholic school teacher, Jocelyn Morffi, posted photos her marriage last weekend to Facebook and was fired from the Saints Peter and Paul Catholic School on Thursday after returning to work the day before. “This weekend… (more…)

  • Man found guilty of manslaughter outside a gay nightclub in Newcastle

    One punch was all it took to take the life of a 54-year-old GrahamThurston outside a club in Newcastle in August last year.

    One punch was all it took to take the life of a 54-year-old man outside a club in Newcastle in August last year.

    Graham Thurston was knocked to his death after a brawl in Newcastle’s city centre, when Scott Thomson punched him.

    Thomson was found guilty of manslaughter following a trial at the Newcastle Crown Court.

    Victim Graham Thurston was attacked after accusing Thomson of bullying a man. After the first punch, Thurston got up, seemingly unhurt, but it was the second punch that claimed his life after he cracked his head on the ground.

    Thomson claimed he had acted in self-defence.

    Senior Investigating Officer Detective Inspector Paul Waugh said: “Thompson was intoxicated when he attacked Graham with one punch which sadly caused him fatal injuries. This incident is a stark reminder of the dangers of too much alcohol, and the consequences of violence on a night out. We want people on a night out to enjoy themselves, but would like to remind people that drinking alcohol can have devastating consequences on your life and the lives of others.

    “We welcome the decision by the jury today and are grateful to the members of the public who came forward and gave evidence in the trial as they helped secure this conviction. This result highlights the importance of the police and public working together.

    “Our thoughts remain with the family of Graham and we continue to offer them our condolence. I hope they find some comfort in that justice has been done.”

    He is due to be sentenced at the same court on 29 March.

  • Bermuda becomes first nation on earth to repeal same-sex marriage

    In a first, Bermuda officially moved toward abolishing same-sex marriage by approving a bill Wednesday despite a supreme court ruling that legalized gay couple marriage in May 2017. Merely eight … (more…)

  • UN rights chief warns over Indonesia LGBT crackdown

    Indonesia must clamp down on rising intolerance against the LGBT community, the UN human rights chief warned Wednesday, as the persecuted minority face a wave of arrests and parliament moves to ban gay sex. (more…)